River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-09-22
METHODS OF MARRIAGE.


peace would seem 10 reveal the fact
that there are four principal reasons
why PEOPLE resort to those magistrates
for the performance Of the marriage
ceremony rather than t. the priest OF
minister First, there seems to be in
the community quite a large atheistic
element, who, protesting 40 belief in
thing, divine at an. logically, eoncede
no force To auy religious ceremony.
The form Of words most frequently
used 10y % Justice contains the EXPIRES
sion. To live together after Gods
ordinance. The following short form,
however. contains no allusion 70 the
Divine Being whatever.
BE- this act % joining hands son DO take
upon yourselves the relation Of man and
wife and s1leMniy promise AMI engage in the
presence uf these witnesses u love and
honor. comfort and cherish each OtE IT as
such as long as YOU both shB live therefore
IN accordance with the laws of the state Of
- do hereby pronounce You man
and wife.
n ~tHNNAAaA AtsAN'Nlr anu AAEE7 A-AetA 1ANlAAN
To- actuatc many. Is a difference of
religious opinion. Where the bride
belongs To- some particular church she
naturally wishes to be- married by her
own priest or minister. and according
90 thu custom Of her own religion; if,
unfortunately. the groom belongs To
some other church oras often happens.
TO some rival church there falls in their
midst a very sour apple Of discorl inst
at the time when everything should be
most intensity sweet With lovers. As
with nations the only way to avoid
war is bv compromise. The Justice in
such cases. cannot give the couple a
better -udSpced than tine wish that the
matter If religious difference. 80 settled,
may nnt be resumed again after mar
rage.
3. Runaway commonly seek the hid Of
4 Justice as the most likely person to
row them quickly and safely Ger the
matrimonial ferry. leaving the pursuing
parent venting hi- HOPELESS wrath ON the
other side. ;. There seems. unfor-
snultely. To Dee a class of persons who
are actultcd Jos reason the exact OPP
pO~ilc of the first one given. They
seem tp attach AN almost sUpeTstitious
importance To a religious ceremony, and
they choose the civil form as the least
likcI, iD trouble their consciences if
thew al amy time should wish to
Il 60 -
or-gttl. iu this connecticut economy
may cause some people to seek the
service IF the Justice. The regular
Zee l. =. 81 extra being charged for
certificate. These are the reasons that
influence many people to lie married.
hv a Justice uf the peace: but II should
not BE- supposed they influence all
per<oHS who are % married.
a. that funcliouary preSides al some of
the most happy and fortunate Of
Cupid'~ celebrations.
Nearly amy Justice Of the peace with
whom d person may converse has some
incident t0 relate. and he Is sure To
have noticed little outbreaks Of human
nature. some Of them not pleasant 20
contemplate. some amusing, some
almost affecting Justice of the Peace
Wheeler. tells the following little story,
which. Illustrating aS it does an old
country custom. has something of the
tender and pathetic about 1t:
..Oue day a Young Swedish couple
came 10 me. who seemed by their act
ions To- have something of Importance
on their minds | suspected from their
.,ruparance that they wanted TO get
married. and when they had repeated
the word Rector. Rector. their only
stock of English, several times, ! be-
came sure that was what they wanted.
brought in In interpreter. to whom
they stated that they wished To see the
rector. He told them that 1 could
marry the-l. whcreuYOn they express
al GREAT animation and delight ask
cd .hcm for their license. which was
Uroduccd. and then was about i'm
lre.lfatrly to proceed with the ceremony
when tho bride stopped me. Ny iirsi
thought MA that ~he was going to back
ont. but was soon uudeceiyed. Sh,
areurd 4 ltlud bag which she carried
.tnI took from il 81 long. white veil ano
!, wr. nth Of artificial orange blossoms
with which she carefully bedecked her
self. Then she produced q huge bon
gt.at of artificial flowers, which she pin
ned TO the grooms coat. They theI
each drew on "a pliro long. white clotl
GLOVES. and. standing side 10y side. indi
Gated that they were ready.
Mr.. Wheeler relates another little in
,.fIsut that illustrates the more demon
,trativr natures Of some races:
II was called one evening 10 IN,
house If family Of foreign extraction
ana fouuJ them MI weeping. except tn
irrespective groom, who cooked 81
premcIy happy. I performed the Ger
cmony IS quickly rs possible. and ha
mo- sooner finished than there WAS
ur9miScuous falling upon necks. hug
zinc. kissing. and crying | notices
men embracing and kissing each o;he
anal CRYING. This. 70 me. unusual seen
Il, Interested me that I took little not
III the time. and found they were thu
ENGAGED for upward of fifteen minutes
: N has been Justice Of the Peac
Goinc's experience that nearly All VIII
have come Is him 70 10 married WEI
either very tiLftatA Nl vi Ns-9lAAtAA- 81
sons married los a minister are usual
among their friends. who have observe
their courtship. and for some time b
fore thev are united their union hs
come la be- regarded a q matter 1
,,ourSe. Those married BY a justice Al
frequently comparative strangers
EVERYONE but each other. and COMM
alone A. they do. either put on Vel
brazen air. or are entirely overcome
timfditv. Mr.. Going relates the ~
foIIowinr incidents to illustrate DO
these points:
..One night quite late in the eyeniI
i wa. about to retire; l had remove
my shoes and stockings and had sllpp
my feet into a pair If slippers l b
ON no coat or vest. and altogether q
not feel equal to afull dress emergenc
Suddenly there was a loud knock.
oYeued the door and saw a middle-ag
man. we'll dressed. and Intelligent loo
inc. Is this the ledge said he.
assured him that l was something
caIlel. He turned from the door. al
beckoninr toward the darkness call
out Come on. when there emerged
Il the light very lady-ike lOoki
person in gray dress. white gloves a